Category: Paranormal/Urban Legends

Expedition Team: Jacque Kelly, Rosie Miller, Justin Eller, Holly Miller, Dave Miller
Date: September 15, 2018

A must see as the museum contains rare Mothman, men in black (MIB) and UFO file archives, “Mothman Prophecies” movie props, silver bridge disaster, newspaper clippings, author John Keel archives and more memorabilia.  We had fun taking photos next to MIB figures.  Museum Director Jeff Wamsley has written two books & told me much about the Mothman and silver bridge disaster.

Expedition Team: Jacque Kelly, Rosie Miller, Justin Eller, Holly Miller, Dave Miller
Date:   September 15, 2018

From November 1966 to December 1967 the city of Point Pleasant, WV and surrounding countryside is gripped by real life terror which culminated in a bridge collapse that made headlines across the world.  The city received national focus due to claims of UFO sightings, domestic animals found slaughtered, Men in Black visiting town and reports of a red eyed flying creature shaped like a man with wings.
CREATURE SIGHTINGS: On Nov. 15, 1966 around 11:30pm, two local young couples parked by a former WWII TNT plant, first witnessed the illusive cryptid.  They described it as a seven foot tall man with wings tips just above his shoulders with red glowing, hypnotic eyes.  Scared to death they drove the eight miles back to Point Pleasant as the winged creature followed them several miles in the air.  Over the next 13 months, countless sightings of the creature took place.                                                                         

UFO SIGHTINGS: during the 13 months following the first sighting of Mothman, a UFO flap took place as over 100 sightings of unidentifiable lights in the sky, on land or close encounters of the fourth kind took place at or within 60 miles of Point Pleasant.
MIB SIGHTINGS: Investigative author John Keel, who was investigating the sightings, coined the MIB name as local newspaper reporter Mary Hyre and many local residents who had UFO sightings were mysteriously visited by men wearing black suits, sunglasses & driving well keep classic cars.  The MIB’s spoke broken English & told witnesses to forget what they saw.
BRIDGE DISASTER: On Dec. 15, 1967, thirteen months to the day of the first Mothman sighting, the large steel span bridge crossing the Ohio River between Gallipolis, Ohio and Point Pleasant WV, collapsed during evening Christmas shopping rush hour with the bridge overloaded with bumper to bumper vehicles due to a malfunctioning stop light.  All trucks & cars plunged into the river killing 46 people with two people still missing.  However, the death toll now stands at 84 as people who have had UFO or Mothman sightings or have investigated the mystery including newspaper reporter Mary Hyre have all died mysteriously or not long after the disaster.
INVESTIGATION: We were in town for the annual Mothman Festival. Spoke to Mothman Museum Director Jeff Wamsley.   The museum contains handwritten eyewitness accounts of creature & UFO sightings plus newspaper articles from 1966 & 1967.
We took a bus out to the former WWII TNT site where the first and a few other Mothman sightings took place. The plants used to manufacture 700,000 tons of TNT per day for the Army in the 1940’s.  Although the large plants are torn down, dozens of the bunkers where the TNT were stored are still standing. The bunkers are well hidden in trees and foliage but are structurally sound as each have four foot thick walls.  It is very eerie to stand in them with all lights turned off and listen to your echo.  Outside in the evening the entire area is creepy and isolated.  The polluted, green ponds surround many bunkers.
We all visited the site of the silver bridge disaster and memorial erected there. The official cause of the collapse of the old, 1928 built bridge, was due to the 13th eyebar breaking.  Not far away is a 12 foot tall metallic statue of the winged Mothman creature.
It was fascinating to tour all of the major sites where this paranormal experience took place 51 years ago.  There is compelling evidence from hundreds of witnesses.  Some people think Mothman was some sort or angel or messenger forecasting the future bridge collapse.  Was this a case of mass hysteria or a series of unexplained phenomina that terrifying Point Pleasant residents and the surrounding West Virginia & Ohio countryside?

I recommend reading three books on Mothman:  “Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend” by Jeff Wamsley & Donnie Sargeant;  “Mothman: Behind the Red Eyes” by Jeff Wamsley:  “The Mothman Prophecies” by John Keel.

Investigation Team: Jim Hall, Dave Miller, Harold Fullaway
Investigation Date:   October 2018

Harold invited us to his house on Cadillac Street due to ongoing paranormal activity there. He believes the majority of activity is a friendly spirit, most likely his wife Sadie.

PARANORMAL CLAIMS 
  Front of house: Jordy the dog: other than one time real quick, Jordy does not go into the kitchen as if he senses something in the kitchen that scares him. Just now going into the back room where he fears something.  
When Harold was in living room, the ivory elephant flew off the shelf 3 or 4 feet. Another one flew off and flew over to where son Tommy was sitting. On the shelf is a photo with wife Sadie that passed away in 2003.
In the back room, Harold heard what sounds like dog chains rattling. Jordy stares out at the sounds. Five dogs (household pets named Boo Boo, Rusty, Belle & Bo) have died over the years in the house. Occasionally he feels what he thinks is a ghost dog jumping up in bed with him; October 2017, Halloween morning at 7:30am – heard a male voice in the back room that goes outside; smell of garbage or rotten flesh in back room. October 2018, Harold was walking back to get his laundry on Halloween morning heard a female voice say “Dave”. December 2019 – when rearranging things for Christmas season, he moved the love seat by the kitchen entry. He was watching TV and turned it down as he heard breathing coming from the kitchen. It wasn’t Bo or son Tommy. (Harold hears good in left ear, 10% in right ear); On Sat., Jan. 4, 2020, Harold was brushing his teeth and saw a black orb just above floor level; On Thurs., January 9, 2020, around 11pm, Harold walked into the dimly lit bedroom. There was a night light in the bedroom and a light on in the living room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black shape/form by the dresser. He thought it was Jordy, but around from the bed came Jordy.
House: built in 1943 as a defense cabin. Harold doesn’t know it housed soldiers. Two more defense cabin houses are on Holman Street. Harold has lived in the house 44 years.
INVESTIGATION:  Jim took EMF readings in the kitchen, living room and back room while I took EVP recordings.  We had high EMF readings in the kitchen which was expected with all of the electric.  After Dave said a blessing, Jim & I were in the back yard and Harold saw a black orb fly across between us and into the garage.  Oddly, Jim obtained EMF readings near the ground but not overhead where there was an overhead electric line.  Although we caught no evidence today, we will return again since Harold has ongoing activity.

 

 

Expedition Team: Jacque Kelly, Dave Miller
Expedition Date: October 21, 2017

Many of you have visited the history & the mystery of this castle . We first saw “Chateau Laroche”, two months ago as we kayaked down the Little Miami River.  Now returning for the first time, daughter Jacque and I followed a steep, winding road which coiled through thick trees similar to the Black Forest of Germany.  We were anxious to visit this stone replica of a tenth-century Norman-style European Castle.  World War I survivor Harry Andrews (who had an IQ of 189) began building the castle in 1929 and almost single-handedly completed 99% of the castle when he died in 1981 at age 91.  He started the Knights of the Golden Trail, a sort of boy scout/Sunday school class.  Teaching young men to live by good ethics, morals & the Ten Commandments, the Knights are caretakers of the castle today.

Andrews built the castle using 56,000 loads of rocks in five gallon pails taken from the Little Miami River and 32,000 buckets of concrete.  Harry lived in the castle, working on it daily until he died.  The quaint old castle definitely alludes European charm.

PARANORMAL CLAIMS:  Locals claim the castle is haunted by Mr. Andrews. An apparition of a knight is seen by the armor suit in the second floor hallway. A neighbor lady who died from an explosion is seen by the river or seen sitting in the courtyard seats.  A dark shadow has been seen moving up the staircase to Sir Harry’s old room.  Sounds of a slamming bathroom door in the ballroom.

INVESTIGATION: However, on this beautiful afternoon there was nothing paranormal just an old castle as we toured the dining hall, the bedroom, winding stairways, basement dungeon and dozens of rooms decorated in medieval attire.

 

Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Jacque Kelly, Nick Kelly, Matt Miller, Holly Miller
Expedition Date: 2012 , 2014 & 2016                                                                                          

We attended the Conference twice. Held at the beautiful state park lodge, we enjoyed viewing the booths, sculptures and art work, book authors, entertaining lectures and meeting the special guests.  They sold just about everything Bigfoot related. When Matt and I attended the 2012 Conference, one guest was author Peter Byrne.  In 2014, Jacque, Nick, Holly & Rosie joined me and we met Cliff Barackman from the “Finding Bigfoot” TV show and Californian Bob Gimlin who, along with Roger Patterson, shot the famous sasquatch film in October of 1967 at Willow Creek, California.  Gimlin loved Holly & Jacque (Photo #5-#7).  Jacque has a unique talent to avoid long lines and suddenly appear with the special guests.  In 2016, Rosie and I camped at the state park and attended the Conference, meeting Bobo Fay (Photo#2 & #4) and Cliff Barackman (Photo#3 & #9) of “Finding Bigfoot” and also Bob Gimlin again.  We enjoyed hiking many trails in the state park where several Bigfoot sightings have taken place in the past.

 

 

Investigation Team: Dave Miller
Investigation Date: 2016

After camping with family and participating in the six hour Wild Cave Tour where we crawled, climbed and wedged through tight openings on this challenging five mile spelunking trip, I stopped by the former cave site where caver Floyd Collins died in February 1925. The saga of his exploration and being trapped in the cave was a top news story in 1925. President Coolidge called daily for updates on his rescue attempts.

HISTORY: At this site local cave owner and well-known caver Floyd Collins descended alone underground in this small cave called Sand Cave searching for a cave in a better location. The Collins family’s cave, Crystal Cave, lay too far off the main route to attract many tourists. He entered the cave with a single kerosene lantern. Crawling through a very tight squeeze on his way back to the surface, Collins dislodged a large 27 pound rock loose behind him, pinning his leg. Collins was trapped sixty feet below the surface. After locating Floyd the following morning, family, friends and local authorities tried in vain for five days to free him. As word of his plight spread fast, help came from engineers and geologists throughout the region. When conventional means failed, miners began digging a shaft to reach him. All rescue attempts proved useless and on the 18th day of entrapment, Collins was pronounced dead of exposure. The National Park bought the cave and closed it to the public.

PARANORMAL CLAIMS: Visitors have heard voices and machinery sounds coming from the closed cave. While walking the path around the cave, several reports have surfaced where adults have encountered the apparition of a man in dirty clothes.

INVESTIGATION: I spent 30 minutes hiking the path around the cave, sitting, listening, taking EVP’s and resting after my day of caving at Mammoth Cave. Only a couple of other tourists came by. I took photos but heard no evidence of voices or sounds from the cave other than a nice breeze on a sunny day. The history of this sad event to find a commercially rewarding cave is depicted in a fascinating book on Floyd Collins including the unsuccessful rescue attempt. I highly recommend you to read this dramatic book.

Expedition Team: Jim Hall, Sara Chaffins, Dave Miller
Expedition Date:  February 2018, April 2021
Several concerned PRC staff members contacted me with stories that took place at the recreation center in the previous six months and asked if POOP (Paranormal of Ohio Investigators) would investigate. The staff felt scared, uneasy working alone and some felt an “evil” presence.

PARANORMAL CLAIMS:  Here are many separate reports. (1)At closing time, one staff member heard keys jiggling down the hall and thought it was the gym monitor. The hallway camera showed no one there. (2)Four staff members drove up to the PRC after closing and saw the shadow of someone at the front desk. The hallway lights came on as if someone was walking down the hallway. Grace called up to the PRC office and the manager answered. She was by herself and said she was not downstairs at all. (3)Two staff members were setting up the basketball gym for a large rental. They awaited another person who was bringing a PA system. They heard loud knocking on the east wall and outside door. No one was there. They sat back down on the stage. More knocking but no one there. They heard footsteps on the roof, a rock or something bouncing and someone chasing it. Then multiple footsteps. More knocking on the door. The staff was scared and left the gym. (4)Staff member heard voices in the basketball gym when working an overnight rental but no one was in the gym. (5)Two staff members were working out after closing. One was in the weight room and heard someone tapping on the window as if trying to get her attention. This happened twice. No one was on the track. (6)Voices were coming from the conference room and the door was open. No one was in the room and the door had been locked a half hour earlier. (7)Staff member heard knocking on the pipes and stairway handle in back hallway as if someone was trying to get their attention. No one was there. (8)After the PRC closed at 9pm, staff checked the locker room, heard a voice, then back door to gym opened and a voice cursed. Staff checked everywhere but no one was in the building. Locker room door was left open by staff but now it was closed. (9)Custodian was sweeping locker room and saw a head poking around the corner. He immediately ran back and no one was there. (10)Staff was closing and voices were heard on the second floor, then on the stairs landed. Do one was in the building. (11)Custodian was in building all alone and heard hallway on top of stairs slam. (12)When opening in the morning alone the worker hears doors slamming. Also feels she is being watched.

ERICA BAKER ANGLE:  Nine year old Erica Baker disappeared on Feb. 7, 1999 near the Kettering Recreation Center. A staff member told me two mediums, Erica’s father and a group of volunteers searched Wax Park in March 1999 as the mediums felt Erica’s body was near “water and a construction site”. The search team concentrated on the future Splash Moraine’s pump house, wave pool and they found clothes in the airpark wooded area. They returned 3 or 4 times and found nothing. Was Erica’s body buried under the PRC or waterpark?

INVESTIGATION & FINDINGS:  The team investigated at closing time when many claims were made and then spent three more hours when the PRC was closed. Investigators took photos and took EVP’s at all of the locations where claims were made. There was no evidence on the EVP’s when questions about Erica Baker were asked. The HVAC equipment made loud noises when kicking on and off but the sounds did not sound similar to the knocking or footsteps heard by staff. Hallway lights are activated by motion sensors and all worked properly. No evidence was obtained on this investigation. A follow-up investigation will be held if claims persist. Note: When running on the indoor track on several mornings, Dave Miller heard footsteps on the roof which turned out to be large crows. Could this be what some staff members heard at night?

RECENT CLAIMS: December 16, 2019 – custodian Andrea was cleaning the hallway about 8pm after the PRC was closed and she heard strange loud banging noise in the gym and also footsteps on the ceiling. No one else was in the center but her. April 2021 – employee Jim Hall entered the maintenance room and screamed – but the white ghost was just a shower curtain hanging on a pole drying (Photo#7).

 

Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Expedition Date:   2017
We spent two days hiking all six major trails at Hocking Hills including Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave and Rock House.  I had to investigate Conkle’s Hollow since stories abound that the hollow was haunted.  The grail was named for W.J. Conkle who carved his name on the sandstone on one of the gorge walls.  

ALLEGED CLAIMS: People claim that the alleged ghost of a pioneer haunts the hollow.  The pioneer used to have a small cabin near the hollow.  The ghost of the pioneer has been seen on the upper trail.

A second claim is that Horsehead Cave on the lower rim trail has a unique legend tied to it.  It is said that Native Indians hid treasure nearby, a cache of silver stolen from settlers.  The ghosts of the Native Indians are said to guard the cave.     

FINDINGS: Rosie and I hiked the 1 mile beautiful lower gorge trail.  The trail was shaded by the cliffs and was adjacent to a small stream.  Moss, plants and large rocks abound the right side of the trail.  At the end of the trail the stream created a small waterfall.  It was a cool, peaceful and relaxing stop where we sipped water and ate a cliff bar.  The lower trail was in a isolated oval canyon which gave you a creepy feeling.  You could scream and it would echo back at you.  We retraced our steps to the front entrance of the gorge.  We climbed steps and then hiked the 2 mile upper rim trail.  Due to overgrowth there were not any good views of the gorge and lower trail below.  Nor did we hear nor see any ghost of a pioneer nor the remains of a pioneer’s cabin.

The upper trail was a good workout but not very scenic. We highly recommend the beautiful lower gorge trail.

Investigation Team: Rosie Miller, Dave Miller
Investigation Date: May 2017

Located within Ohio’s only National Park, the covered bridge, cemetery and road all have reported apparitions.  Nearby in the remote woods is an urban legend, a witch’s grave, partially melted from continual lighting strikes.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Rosie & I bicycled the National Park’s historical 19 mile Towpath Bike Trail.  It is the original tow path located beside the Ohio & Erie Canal built from 1820 to 1830.  The canal is still full of water for many of the miles. On the south end of the park off a spur of the trail is the covered bridge.  The covered bridge is patterned after the 1869 Smith Truss design. The original bridge was destroyed by 1975 floods and rebuilt.  The private cemetery nearby is dated back to 1847.

ALLEGED SIGHTINGS: Legend has it, the bridge is haunted by the spirits of a local farmer John Gilson who drowned (while his wife watched) in 1877 trying to cross the swollen creek.  Locals have heard disembodied voices pleading for help.  Witnesses have also reported the sounds of horse’s hooves, a faceless man wearing coveralls and lighted lanterns crossing the bridge. During my research an interesting find.  A new road was built just past the bridge which imposed on the Chamberlain/Everett Cemetery property.  While digging during road construction, workers unearthed a tomb with skeletal remains which turned out to be a native American of the Hopewell Indian culture 1,500 years ago.  Construction crews did not think much of the historical significance and built the new road over the burial ground.  Hence locals claim to have seen a ghostly hitch hiker on that road.  The cemetery next to the bridge & new road was abandoned with only a few bodies removed.  Nearby is a creepy, deserted house  (Photo#4). The old photo below (Photo#2) is Everett Covered Bridge after the 1913 flood.  The  flood damage closed the nearby Ohio & Erie Canal.

INVESTIGATION: What can I say, in the daytime it is a beautiful bridge.  I am sure it is creepier at night when your imaginations roam.  We spent 30 minutes sitting in or near the quiet bridge eating our packed lunch then walked part of the grounds nearby.  We had no experiences or sightings to verify this urban legend but enjoyed it for what it was – a beautiful, historic covered bridge looking very serene by the light of day!

Investigation Team:   Dave Miller
Investigation Date:     January 27, 2020

Another Ohio urban legend. This was the second of three investigations in Gratis the past month.
CLAIMS: So many weird claims circulate about the bridge. In one, a creature lives in the woods and you can hear it growl under or near the bridge. Secondly, legend has it a distraught mother threw her baby from the bridge where at night you hear it crying (hence the name Crybaby Bridge).

INVESTIGATION: Once a popular destination for teens, the steel bridge is closed and deteriorating, concrete blocks keeping people from driving onto the bridge. The road, barely wide enough for two cars, is also in bad shape near the bridge. A sign at the north entrance to Fudge Road says “Road Closed Ahead”, to deter people from entering (locals were tired of carloads of young adults drinking, making noise and looking for ghosts at night). The bridge is just a quarter mile from the southern entrance to Fudge Road with a no trespassing sign on a pole overlooking a field. A large creepy, abandoned house is on the left. I walked to the bridge and took photos. I can imagine how you would feel at night because on this dreary, overcast afternoon the dead trees, the sound of the rushing stream and the remoteness made it feel very eerie. Although there are no monsters that live under the bridge, it is a creepy place, ripe for tall tales that created this urban legend.